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Dream ✍ 001
"Do you think I deserve a recompense? Well, I request one. That I may blow that man's brains out."
Javert was pinioned in three places. A thick rope collar was bound about his throat, and cord kept his wrists tied tight and his legs close. His march to the secluded Rue de Mondetour alleyway, where the insurgents stockpiled the dead, was slow and arduous; his balance was poor, and he could move little more than a few inches with each step. Yet on his face was the indefinable, smug smile of a confident man who had just been shown the secret to life itself.
The hooded visage of his captor bade him to stop and turned to face him. Javert obeyed, his gaze cast askance to the growing tower of bodies. The livid face and dirtied, streaming hair of a young girl, shot through the breast, caught his attention. Idly he noticed how familiar she looked. It might have been a girl he once arrested. It was never a good sign for a police agent to recognize a man or a woman. More often than not, it meant one was of the villainous variety.
Perhaps they would meet again shortly.
Javert turned to the stout, strong form of his opponent, his stare glancing only briefly to the thick barrel of the pistol thrust in his face. He was profoundly calm, almost serene and haughty in his wait. It occurred to him that the large man had spoken, but Javert cared not what he said.
"Take your revenge," Javert prompted, his head held high. He gave the impression of a man waiting for this moment all night. It was not so far from the truth. At every opportunity that the insurgents came in to the café where he was held prisoner, he would wonder at them why they had not taken the chance to kill him.
Well. At least that wait was over.
But rather than blow his head off right then and there, the other man tucked his pistol under his arm and withdrew a small object. There was a flash of silver, a sharp glint through the dimness. It was a knife.
"Ah! You are right, Valjean," said Javert with a grim note of approval. "That knife suits you better."
Knives were barbaric. Uncivilized. Personal. Criminal. Perfect for the ex-convict before him, who doubtless wished to savor the moment life left the Inspector's eyes. Javert anticipated the flash of the blade.
But it did not come. Instead, the ex-convict grasped Javert by the martingale and yanked him close, their noses nearly touching as the criminal's wild eyes stared eagerly into Javert's cold, impassive gaze. It was most uncomfortable, to be pulled around such, thought Javert. It placed a hideous strain on his breathing.
"Be quiet! You talk too much!" snarled Valjean terribly, the old man strung-out and weary from his many years of flight. His thick grip constricted, pulling the noose tight. "--Even as my prisoner."
And as the flick of the knife descended upon Javert's throat, crimson splashing the convict's face, the Inspector's lips pulled back in a fearsome, soundless, proud laugh. Valjean perceived the Inspector's broad grin, his face gaunt and body loose in the collapse of death.
It is only just. Duty was served well.
:-)
He has kept dutiful watch. That should please you.
no subject
Furthermore, it is customary to do a thorough investigation of newcomers that wish to hold a position of power in this world.
no subject
He gave a aearly imperceptible titter of his head. It resembled a nod.]
I would expect it. That is just.
no subject
no subject
Madame, all my life I have dedicated myself to remaining just. You understand it is very easy to be a kind man. To be just is a difficult thing indeed, but suitable for a member of the police.
[A pause, his gaze growing distant, distracted.]
I insist that I am to be given the same treatment as I judge others. You have done well enough by that with your investigation.
no subject
I don't doubt that you have. But 'just' is a relative term. Is it not? What is considered fair to one person may not be so apparent to another. Here, justice is blurred by cultures, time and worlds. Who will be the one to define it so that it is comprehensible for everyone?
no subject
[He flashes a wry, terrible grin.]
The law of this country, Madame. You have a copy like the rest.
Lisez. Read it.
no subject
no subject
no subject
Even so, my earlier point should, once again, be brought into question. The people residing here are from different worlds, places that do not share the same rules for governing societies. Are you going to let something that may or may not be applicable dictate our justice system? We should be cognizant of who this law code will affect. Have you scoured the land and are you confident that this documentation will support and protect the number of civilizations that are present here?
Either way, I will take a look at it myself and hope that we share the same opinion.
no subject
It is clear he is on the verge of losing his patience... if he hasn't already.]
See here now: country of origin has no meaning!
The legal system was written by a higher authority of this country than you or I. Do you say that we must treat each immigrant to this country like a countess, catering to their beck and call? How capital, to rewrite the law at every dandy's whims! You propose a botched mess of a system! We are to adapt to the rules of this nation, not the other way around.
I certainly come from a different set of laws than these! I tell you, I am here to enforce, not muck up what has already endured proper process.
no subject
Are you so daft that you haven't realized that this justice system did not work for the people living here prior to us?
[She pauses, her gaze lowering for a moment so that she can gather her thoughts.]
They are all gone. Wiped out. No longer in existence here. Why shouldn't we question it? Why shouldn't we try to improve it? A document does not dictate what is best for this world and its people. With the overlord’s approval, WE DO!
Science has taught us that we can be wrong. Things are constantly being proven and dis-proven all the time. Technology confirms that there are better ways to achieve our goals if we take the time to ‘think’. Are you such a conventionalist that you are unable to analyze what should be done rather than following what is already there? [Her tone becomes a bit sarcastic.] Or do you still believe that it is best to travel on foot, rather than in a car? [She leans forward, the sincerity behind her words present in her gaze.] Or even this device that you are so conveniently talking on. Should you not use it because it is more technologically advanced than something you might be used to?
Everything changes over time. The world, societies, people. And the same is true for laws.
You are ignoring the fact that there are people here who can perform magic. What if your precious doctrine will not be able to support the arrest of such individuals? I'm guessing that you are from a country where magic is not practiced. And so am I. But I have seen things that I thought were never possible and I know what some of these criminals are capable of. A vampire who can control your entire body with just his eyes alone. A beast that will eat you whole just because he enjoys the taste of your flesh. A man who controls lightening at will... [She pauses here, a look passing in her eyes that might suggest she has been victimized by one or more of these individuals.] These are the people we share our world with.
Admittedly, I do not know who you have spoken to or who you plan to extend an invitation to for this enforcement agency, but you must understand that this is no ordinary atmosphere. If you do not have them already, we should have representatives. People who can cater to every possible criminal. Someone capable of strategical planning. A person highly skilled in magic. Someone who understands the particulars of warfare. A person who comprehends the minds of criminals.
Laws and ethics do not parallel. Ethics are constantly evolving on their own while written rules require the will of people to change. Laws can never keep up with what is ethical because of this. Since we are putting this system into place now, we need to make sure that it is applicable to this generation.
None of that will be accomplished by merely adhering to a stack of papers that were written for people who have come to extinction. This is our world. We need to respect it and ensure that those who cannot protect themselves are taken care of. And I will fight you to the very end if these laws are not, at least, brought into question and analyzed by several of the eyes representing this world.